Türkiye's rescue teams begin operations in Venezuela

Teams deploy to La Guaira

Turkish rescue personnel from the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the Turkish Armed Forces began operations on Sunday in Venezuela's La Guaira state, one of the regions hardest hit by Wednesday's powerful twin earthquakes that have claimed over 1,400 lives. The teams moved to the La Paez neighborhood upon receiving reports that individuals may remain alive beneath the rubble of a collapsed 14-story building.

Scale of the disaster

The earthquakes struck 39 seconds apart on Wednesday evening, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, according to the US Geological Survey. The tremors caused widespread building collapses across Caracas and several states including Miranda, La Guaira, Aragua, Carabobo and Falcon. National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez stated on Saturday that the death toll has risen to 1,430.

Search for survivors

Residents told rescue workers that the destroyed building contained 43 apartments, 41 of which were occupied when the quake hit. Local accounts said several people had been pulled alive from the debris earlier, with one survivor providing information about others still trapped underneath the wreckage. Operations continue alongside international teams working to locate additional survivors.